UNITED NATIONS, March 27. /TASS/. Russia will firmly stand for the protection of Christians and adherents of other religions who are persecuted by terrorists in the Middle East, Russia’s UN Permanent Representative Vitaly Churkin said on Friday.

Russia "resolutely and consistently denounces any acts of violence against civilians, including on ethnic and religious grounds," Churkin said at a meeting of the UN Security Council.

"We’ll continue our principled policy in the interests of achieving inter-confessional and inter-ethnic peace and accord in Syria, Iraq and other Middle East countries," Russia’s UN envoy said.

"We’ll continue to firmly stand for the protection of both Christians and adherents of other religions who are persecuted by terrorists," the Russian diplomat said.